Gate



July 13, 1965 A. PITTs 3,193,955

GATE

Filed June 5, 1965 INVEN TOR.

United States Patent O 3,193,955 GATE William A. Pitts, 1621i S.Cincinnati Place, Tulsa, Okla. Filed June 5, 1963, Sei'. NoB 285,693 6Claims. (Cl. 39-84) The present invention relates to gates, moreparticularly of the horizontally swinging type adapted to be opened bythe pressure of a veh-icle thereagainst.

It is an object =of the present invention to provide a gate which can beopened by the pressure of a vehicle against it without scratching ormarring the paint or iiish of the vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of ya gatewhich is maintained closed by a latch, but which can be readilyunlatched by the pressure of a vehicle against it.

Still another object of the present invention 1s the provision lof alatched gate which can be opened by the pressure of a vehicle against itfrom either side.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gatewhich will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy toinstall and repair, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following description, when takenin connection with the :accompanying drawing, in which:

iFGURE 1 is a perspective view of a gate according to the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a .side elevational View of the gate with parts broken awayfor clarity; and

FIGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 at FIGURE 2. i

Referring now .t-o the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a gateindicated generally at 1 mounted for horizontal swinging movement ineither direction on a pair of gate posts 3 Iand 5. Post 3 carries acollar 7 swingably secured thereto, which provides one of the pivotalmountings of gate 1 on the axis of post 3; and a post 9 carried by Igate1 and slidably and swingably mounted within post 3 provides the otherspaced pivotal mounting by which .gate 1 is mounted for horizontalswinging movement about a generally vertical axis coaxial with post 3. Aroller 11, mounted on gate 1 for rotation about an laxis inclined at asmall acute angle to the horizontal, rolls on a correspondingly inclinedcam track 13 which is ixedly carried at the upper end of post 3. Thegate `is thus self-closing by gravity, for in closing it tends to rundown hill to the lowest part of inclined cam track 13, which correspondsto the closed position of the gate. The tendency -of the gate thus to.roll down hill on roller 11 may be augmented by means of a coil tensionspring extending between .the top of post 9 and track 13.

On the other gate post 5, a recess 15 is provided in registry with theposition of a retractable latch 117 in the closed position of gate 1.Latch 17 is carried by a frame 19 which is horizontally slidable on andrelative to gate 1, and a coil compression spring 21 acts between frame19 and a iixed abutment on gate 1 continuously yieldably to urge frame19 to the right as seen in the drawing so yas continuously to urge latch17 toward and into recess 15 at least in the closed gate position. Frame19 carries a pair of pulleys 23 mounted for rotation thereon aboutparallel vertical axes. IPulleys 23 are disposed both in the Isamehorizontal plane and .are disposed one toward either side 4of gate 1yand overlie each other longitudinally of gate 1. An endless flexiblebelt 25, preferably circular in cros-s-sectional conguration, is reevedabout pulleys 23 and is disposed in a horizontal plane. Belt 25 is of anelastic deformable material providing a relatively soft surface, and ispreferably rubber or the like. Preferably, it is reinforced tostrengthen it, and the reinforcement may be in the form of fabric suchas nylon cord, or metal wire or the like.

The configuration of belt 25 on gate 1 is characterized by a pair ofelongated horizontal runs disposed one on either side lof gate 1. Thesehorizontal runs of belt 1 extend preferably most of the length of gate 1and form the laterally outermost portions of gate 1. Preferably, theyare parallel to gate 1 and to each other. To maintain belt 25 in thisconfiguration on the inner end of gate 1, that is, the end oppositelatch 1'7, a pair of pulleys 27 are provided which are arranged likepulleys 23 but are adjacent the inner end of the gate. They are coplanarwith each other and with pulleys 23 and are mounted for `rotation aboutvertical axes parallel to each other and parallel to the axes of pulleys23. They are carried by a frame 29 which is slidably mounted on gate 1for movement lengthwise of gate 1. Frame V29 is characterized by ascrew-threaded shank 31 .that extends through a fixed abutment on gate 1and is adjustably secured so a-s to position pulleys 27 in any desiredposition lengthwise of gate 1 by means of adjusting nuts 33.

A horizontal sleeve 35 having its axis perpendicular to the length ofgate 1 is secure-d to `gate 1 about midway of the length of the gate. Atube 37 is slidably coaxially carried in sleeve 35 and carries wi-thinit a pair of axially aligned coil compression springs 39. A stop 41rigidly mounted on sleeve 35 and passing through tube 37 is received ina slot 43 that extends lengthwise of both sides of tube 37. Rollers 45mounted for rotation about vertical axes parallel to each other and tothe axes of pulleys 23 and 27, are carried by opposite ends of tube 37.The axles of rollers 45 are provided with upwardly extending extensions47 which in turn provide the -axles for a pair of rubber rollers 49 thatare rotatable about vertical axes `one on either side of gate 1. Astabilizer rod 51 interconnects lthe upper ends -of extensions 47 andretains rollers 49 in place on extensions 47 and is horizontallydispo-sed rand slidably received coaxially in a sleeve 53 that is alsoxedly mounted on gate 1 parallel to but spaced `above sleeve 35. One runof belt 25 rides in the outer periphery of each of rollers 45. Tube 37with its lassociated rollers 45 thus extends between and interconnects`the opposite parallel runs of belt 25 and is movable within sleeve 35in either direction from its Imide position or rest position which isdetermined by coil compression springs 39 being under equal compression.

ln operation, belt 25 i-s disposed at the elevation of a vehicle bumper,and when the bumper contacts one run of belt 25 as seen in FIGURE 3,that run is indented and sleeve 35 and tube 37 and rollers 45 are pushedinwardly, which pushes the opposite run of belt 25 outwardly. Belt 25forms a loop the legs of which are the long runs and the bight of whichis reeved about pulleys 23. Therefore, contact with the vehicle pullspulleys 23 and frame 19 to the left as seen in FIGURE 3 against theaction of coil compression spring 21. Latch 17 is carried by frame 19and is accordingly withdrawn from recess 15. At the -same time, thepressure of the vehicle against belt 25 and thus against the gate causesthe gate to swing open in a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG-URE 3.

As the vehicle brushes past the opened gate, belt 25 remains fairlystationary relative to the vehicle, because the friction of belt 25against the vehicle is generally lgreater than the friction of pulleys23 and 27 and rollers 45 on their respective axles. As a result, thevehicle causes belt 25 to circulate about pulleys 23 and 27 and rollers45 as the vehicle passes gate 1, with the result that nothing on gate 1scrapes the vehicle. Belt 25 is ot a thickness such thatit protrudes asubstantial distance outwardly `from pulleys 23 and 27, so that evenwhenthe vehicle is passing the pulleys theVV pulleys do not contact thevehicle because the belt serves as -a spacer between the vehicle and thepulleys.

Once the Vehicle is past the closed because of Y the downhillinteraction of Vroller 11 and inclined cam track 13j. Then, when thevehicle again the gate from the Iopposite side, the vehicle Will Contactthe other run or belt 25,'which`is the upper run shown in lFIGURE 3, andthe operation will berepeated in reverse. The structure'of gate 1 isbisymmetric about the vertical mid-plane ofthe gate Ythat includes thelatch and the axis Vof swinging movement of the'gate, so that the tactsand tensions thermember and causes Ythe member Y toretract ythe latch toopen the gate, the llexible member being disposed in a loop having apair of legs, the bigh-t of they loop serving to retract the latch, andmeans interconnecting both ends Iof the loop for conjoint movementssothat both legs of,V the loop are deflected aboutA Ithe same amountvupon `contact between a'vehicle and one leg of the loop, the exiblemember lbeing endless Y approaches the gate but in the opposeitedirection, Yas by 1 Y backing out :of the drivewayror turning andapproaching and being reeved about pulleys. Y v

2. A gate `as claimed in claimv 1, the axes of the pulleys beingsubstantially vertical.

3. A horizontally -swingable gate having a retractable Vlatch,Vvmeansfor retracting the latch comprising a pa'ir -of'lengths oflexiblematerialdisposed one on each side 'of the gate, and meansinterconnecting both lengths j of ilexible material .for conjointmovement soV that'both gate maybe approached and opened yequally easilyfrom either direction. The provisionfof pulleys 23 on either side ofVthat planeofthe gate,"and the provisionof the tuber37 and rollers 45actingV onV the Ylegs of the loop about pulleys 23, .assures that belt25 will not cause frame 19 to cant on its slidable bearings on gate 1regardlessrof theY` direction from which the gate,V is approached by theve-i hicle. Belt 25 thus pulls evenly' on frame 19 from both directionsto avoid misalignment of the lframe on the` gate.

InV view be ,obvious that all of the initially recited objects of thepresentinvention have been achieved, Y

Although the present invention has been described and lengths *aredeilectedfabou-t the same amountup-on contact between a vehicle-and oneof' the lengths of flexible Y material, said lengths being the legs ofan endless member disposed in `a loop Vhavingtwo legs, said loop beingdisposed ma horizontal plane, said latch retracting means inclu-dingpulleys vabout whch'said member yis reeved and 'between whichsaid legsextend.

of the yforegoing disclosure, therefore, it will illustrated .inconnection withy arpreferfred embodiment, Y

it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resortedto without Adeparting from the spirit of the invention, as ythoseskilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications andvariationsare conv sidered to bewithin the purview and scope of thepresent 4A gate as claimed in claim 3, said member being Y made of anelastic deformable material.

y5. A gate as claimed in claim 4, said member having a thicknesssuiicient .to extend radi-ally outwardly a substantial distance beyondthe pulleys. l

`6. A gate as claimed in claim 4,'said elastic deformable material beingrubber or the like.

References Cited by the Examiner Y UNITEDV STATES PATENTS 1,584,088 Y v5/26 Glafcke 39-87 1,746,270 2/30 Meinen 39-51 1,798,699 3/31 Ralston39--31 '72,550,304 4/51 Smithy 39-51 2,727,323 12/55 Koch et al.. 39-55V2,832,627' 4/,58 Batchler 39-31 HARRISON R; MosELEY, Primary'Examiner.

1. A HORIZONTALLY SWINGABLE GATE HAVING A RETRACTABLE LATCH, MEANS FORRETRACTING THE LATCH COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER EXTENDINGALONG ONE SIDE OF THE GATE FOR CONTACT WITH A VEHICLE, WHEREBY THEVEHICLE CONTACTS AND TENSIONS THE MEMBER AND CAUSES THE MEMBER TORETRACT THE LATCH TO OPEN THE GATE, THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER BEING DISPOSEDIN A LOOP HAVING A PAIR OF LEGS, THE BIGHT OF THE LOOP SERVING TORETRACT THE LATCH, AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING BOTH ENDS OF THE LOOP FORCONJOINT MOVEMENTS SO THAT BOTH LEGS OF THE LOOP ARE DEFLECTED ABOUT THESAME AMOUNT UPON CONTACT BETWEEN A VEHICLE AND ONE LEG OF THE LOOP, THEFLEXIBLE MEMBER BEING ENDLESS AND BEING REEVED ABOUT PULLEYS.